Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti worked with Westbrook and his agent, Thad Foucher, to deliver the former MVP to his preferred destination: a reunion with James Harden, sources said.

The Thunder made the playoffs in each of Westbrook and Harden’s three seasons together, going from the 8-seed in 2009-10 to No. 4 in 2010-11 to No. 2 in 2011-12. They reached the NBA Finals in their final season, losing in five games to the Miami Heat.

The Thunder are playing a long game unseen in recent NBA history, adding eight first-round picks lined up through 2026 — plus four pick swaps — via the Westbrook, Paul George and Jerami Grant trades.